Quite a number of Literalists cause insurmountable barriers because they claim that their personal doctrine is the only way, and, moreover, that all other spiritual pathways are "false religions". They make such claims like the following: "Nowhere in scriptures is found a Divine saviour incarnating, a prophecy of this, or return of the founder of the faith, other than in the Bible", or "the God of the Christian (Literalist) is the only one to 'reach down' whereas in all other religions it is the people reaching up".
However, in the Vedas (received and used by the ancient rishis of the "Vedic Age" long before Hinduism had adapted various aspects), the Supreme Personality of Godhead (God) says: "Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am the Lord of all entities...whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, and a predominant rise of irreligion - at that time I descend Myself - to deliver the faithful and to annihilate the wicked" (Gita 4:6-8). Indeed, a prophecy about His incarnation and His own return and power to save, in one.
Also, the recurring emergence throughout history of the "golden rule" of seeking to do to ones neighbour as one would have done to oneself, is clearly explained by a part of the above Vedic quote which states that He returns to: "re-establish the principles of religion". Scaling down from such a colossal statement, one of the many volumes of the Srimad Bhagavatam names and gives details of Buddha's appearance over two thousand years before the event. That incarnation was to prevent cruelty and cruel animal "sacrifices" by teaching love for the humbler creations of the Most High.
These teachings and prophesies enhance knowledge about God and does not belittle it in any way, for it is commonly forgotten or not realized that had Jesus not come when He did, the rulers of that time were so obsessed by such evil and the trend was so strongly towards involution, that we today would be as the beasts in the field. True, mankind has fought a valiant battle at times, but serious thought should be given to the fact that mankind declines rapidly where immorality abounds and without the re-establishing of the principles of religion he would be lost. Mankind should not be so ignorant and arrogant as to think he has come this far on his own without help.
Many (even many naming themselves Christians) find it difficult to understand the fact that *Jesus said He was the "Son of God" and yet He said that the Father and He were One. In this case it is necessary to understand something of the emergence of God into His Creation in the form of His Christ, out of transcendental Perfection - to be with, accompany and raise up His fallen children; and it is also necessary to understand that that Spiritual Christ can manifest in the physical universe. Hence, as He said, Jesus the Man was not as great as His Father - and yet He attributed to Himself the holy and sacred term "I Am", reserved only for the Most High.
* (Great help in understanding the Heavenly Spheres and the Divine creative sciences, can be found in its highest form to date in the "Life Beyond The Veil" series, various addresses in The Zodiac Messages, and a few other singular but related scripts of spiritual messages - all of which clearly explain and unravel apparent Biblical and other scriptural conflicts and difficulties, to anyone with the will to learn and comprehend).
Understanding that God's Christ brought the "worlds" into being (Heb.1:2), and yet manifested as the Man Jesus without bringing the power of His Godhead, is made clear by study of the correct messages given by God through the sacred gift of Spirit Communion. Spirit Agency enables understanding of how Jesus the Christ was the Man in the flesh named Jesus, and yet was "the brightness of God's glory and the expressed image of His person" (Heb.1:3) - and yet is one with the omnipotent God.
Although the highest aspects of God's Christ - love, sacrifice and tenderness - are seen in perfection in Jesus, the most approachable and accessible "visible form of the invisible God" available to man - that most generous gift of Christ coming Himself does not mean that God has not been redeeming his children since the beginning of "time". It really is very small and most ignorant to limit the Almighty God whose "mercy endureth forever" to that greatest act of redemption, albeit the costliest and most potent.
The belief of many naming themselves Christians revolves around Jesus dying for their sins and rising again. My Christianity revolves around Christ's understanding of the poor, His unconditional compassion and forgiveness, His courage and determination, but most importantly His love for His own creation - as well as dying for my weaknesses and showing death is trampled underfoot.
Nobody knows (although many different material guesses have been offered) when God will "gather together in one all things in Christ" - "the fullness of times" to which Jesus referred when saying: "I, if I be lifted up from the earth, shall draw all men to Me". My opinion is that this may not occur for aeons or until man is willing to see that the spirit within each one of his fellows comes from the same Source and omnipresent Being. It is early days yet.
Exchanging scriptural quotations can provide very different conceptions of truth, but taking all spiritual teachings in their primary sense without metaphor or allegory, promotes irreconcilable conflicts, fuelling global disharmony and division. A person who has chosen to follow Christ knows that there is no sweeter path for him or her because he or she has found the highest aspect of the Heart of Love and the spirit within responds with love, but this does not mean that the Bible is the only sacred book that tells of God - there are other sacred books.
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